The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-09
THE TREASURY SCANDAL.

Comptroller Durham Disturbed af the Pub-
Hcarion of the Facts
washington Special New York TribHne
The publication ia to-aayis Tribune respecting
the payment by the Treasury Department Of
claims suspected to be fraudulent has caused q
great perturbation Amene certain Democratic
officials. When Comptroller Durham heard OF it
he put op his hat and lost time in paying q
visit TO the Interior Department What took
place between him and Secretary Lamar was
not disclosed after bis return to his Office. Mr.
Durham ha1 to say only that the Tribune pub
lication was correct TO the decision OF the
controversy between him and the Commissioners
of the General Land Office; that If any frauds
have been committsd improper payments
made the Comptroller's efice is not eornizant Of
or responsible for thein and that payments
have been made which had not been duly cerfi-
fed by the Commissioner of the General Land
Office, as the law requires. He added, how
ever. that the question of his authority 70 rs-
ouire the Commissioners TO state account was
ably argued in behalf OF his Office By exCon-
gressmen Hurd and Thompson and by Wilson
not agree with them.
To the Tribune correspondent Commissoner
Sparks said Yes, it is true that accounts have
been paid which were not certified by me. L
think a great mistake has been made Tho
story is ieog one, and the is complicated
so that have not time to go into the details.
tits RENE m cred now that Comptroller Durham
seemed especially anxious that the Land Com
missioner should state and certify certain sur
veyors' accounts. while in the OF officials in
other branches of the public service his DISPOSE
ton appsered to be adverse to the settlement OF
accounts for services; and yet for years the ac-
counts of deputy sarseyors, especially Tor sur
veys under the deposit system, have been nn-
der suspicion, aad subjected 60 tbs most rigid
scrutiny
The Republican predecessors os Connissioner
Sparks repeatedly nreed the repeal OF the de-
post Law. and Mr.. Hiscock. when he chair
of the appropriations committees, tried but
failed to embody such appeal in an appropriation
law. He did not succeed. however, al depIiving
the system of its WORST features, and General
Sparks in his first report commended the reform,
while he joined with his Republicans predeces-
sors in recommending the abrogation OF the sys-
tezn itself. Of course, Controller Dzrham musA
hare been aware of all these things. and hence
his seeming anxious to press the disputed and
suspicious accounts to settlement may DO thouEhs
singular while his attempt to control the action
CT the land comniesio joiner must be regarded az
strange and iil-conside-sd
1t is asserted that the loss to the governments
by the irregular unauthorized or frauculent
payments for the California accounts alone
amounts TO some SO 0eo Treasury officials ex-
press the opinion that such payments could
have been made only BY duplication, and some
of them believe that the worst thAt will be dir
covered will be that disallowancss which hxva
stood for years unexplained and apparently
abandoned have been suddenly inexplicaoiy re-
moved and the amounts allowed These dis-
allowances were made for many reasons. for
causes sometimes technical, sometimes vital
Sometimes the deputy surveyors lied notes, IN
which trees and witness corners were not
properly shown, unallowable abbFeviations
used, afidavits not properly execated
plafs, not corresponding with feld
notes and so forth. Sometimes
the appropriation had been exhausted and wo1ld
not cover all the survey. and the remaining por-
ton would have 20 be restaued in another account,
to be paid when the new appropriation should
become available. In some cases there were ex-
ces ses of repayment on surveys conducted under
the SPECIAL deposit system. The sudden removal
of 6isallowances after lapse OF ten OF ffseen
years would be in itself suspicious and would re-
quire a thorough and satisfactory explanation
But 1T is again asserted that something more than
the removal of old disailowances has taken place,
In short that accounts have been allowed which
have already been paid. and moreover it Is as
serted that these allowances and duplicate pay
menrs have been made by officials under the
present admins sfratlcn of economy and reform